Lake County Gazette

Lake County Sheriff's Detectives arrested a registered sex offender on September 24. Detectives were given information that the suspect uploaded possible child pornography to a social media page.

Sheriff John D. Idleburg said in a news release, "Fortunately, it appears sheriff’s detectives were able to stop this man before he committed a further horrific act on the young girl whose photos he had. The members of our office will tirelessly investigate and arrest those who prey on our children."

According to the news release, detectives searched for the suspect at his listed address in the 100 block of Sheridan Road, Winthrop Harbor. However, he was not living there. Detectives learned he had registered as living at another address in the 1600 block of 2nd Avenue in Winthrop Harbor a week earlier. The suspect was contacted and agreed to meet detectives at the Winthrop Harbor Police Department. He told detectives he had been living in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, for several days, contrary to where he registered to live.

An analysis of the suspect's cellphone by members of the Illinois Attorney General's Cybercrime Unit revealed multiple images he allegedly took of a girl under the age of eight. Some images were of the child in her underwear and at least one contained a pornographic image of the girl. Sheriff's detectives determined that the suspect knew the girl from when he lived at an apartment in Winthrop Harbor and that the photos were taken then. Warrants are being sought to conduct additional analysis on other electronics belonging to the suspect.